Sensou no Miko
by Figgles
Summary: The Universe of the Four Gods has reappeared, taking two new girls to live an adventure out within its pages. But the story is never the same twice. What lies between the pages this time? *SPOILERS FROM FUSHIGI YUUGI SERIES*
1. Enter

Hello all! Back with a new story and this is for Fushigi Yuugi! This story is about my character Michiyo Hamano and my friend's character Sakura Kurenai and their adventure's in the Universe of the Four Gods. :) I've very excited to write this story because for once I've actually plotted out all of this fic and can't wait to get it written! I hope that you all will enjoy it as well!

This fic is also featured on my Deviantart page so if you happen to see it there please don't send me a message saying someone stole it. I posted it in two places and I'm aware of it. ^-^

Thank you and enjoy! I don't own Fushigi Yuugi.

**Chapter One: Enter**

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><p><em>It had been nearly 15 years since the book was last opened. Sitting on the shelf in the library and hidden from the public. The last adventure spent away in the pages was not the first, nor the last. And each adventure spent within the pages is different. The story is never told the same twice. <em>

_This is the story of two high school girls who stumble across the book and begin their own personal story._

o.O.o.O.o.O.o

The final bell run throughout Nabara High, students began flooding out of classrooms and into the halls. It was the weekend and students eagerly exited the school to head towards the malls and other shopping areas. The mixture of yellow, blue, and peach colored uniforms mixed in the hallways as students grouped together to leave.

At Nabara High, each year was identified by a different color. First years wore yellow and white uniforms, second years wore blue and white and third years wore peach and white. Girls and boys of matching colors flocked to each other, hardly anyone outside their own year mixing together.

A girl with sky blue hair pulled into two high ponytails raced through the hallways, teachers yelling for her to slow down but she ignored them. She raced around a corner, nearly slamming into two third year boys but managed to dodge around them. She slid to a stop in front of the last classroom in the farthest hallway, her yellow skirt flipping up slightly.

"Sakura!" She screamed as she ran into the room, jumping onto a third year girls back. "It's the weekend!" She bounced up and down, shaking the third year girl with her as she did. "Let's do something fun! Please?"

Sakura pushed the girl away, with a little difficulty considering she was taller than her despite being a first year. "Michiyo! Calm down." She said, fixing her red-brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail on the right side of her head. Once that was done, she fixed the flowers that she had placed in her ponytail that morning.

"Sorry." Michiyo said, laughing slightly. "It's just the first weekend I don't have any homework or practice!" She said, jumping up and down. Any given weekend, Michiyo usually found herself swamped with homework and topped with her martial arts class. Not having anything to do in a weekend was a miracle and one she quickly took advantage of.

"I hear you." Sakura said, laughing as she packed her things up. "But unlike you, I do have some work this weekend. I need to stop by the library really quick before we do anything else this weekend." She said, watching Michiyo sigh heavily over that thought, but followed anyways.

Both heading off to the National library where the quick trip soon became an hour visit. Michiyo slumped over a table and moaned softly, as to not annoy anyone else but get the point across to Sakura. "Aren't you the one who normally spends hours in the library anyways?" Sakura asked, setting another book down next to Michiyo's head.

"Yes, on days when I'm trying to avoid studying and school. Not on days when I'm free for once." She pushed herself up from the table and walked over to one of the shelves. "Besides, I've pretty much read everything any library has to offer anymore."

"Then go wait for me outside. I'll just be another minute." Michiyo glanced at her, hearing that line before. "I promise this time. I just need to check these books out." Michiyo sighed, grabbing her bag and headed towards the exit, gliding her hand across the books as she left.

With her eyes glued to the floor she didn't notice the guy as she rounded the corner and walked straight into him, knocking all the books he had onto the ground. "I'm so sorry." She quickly began picking up his books and helping him.

With the last book picked up, the guy nodded thanks and took off down the hall. Michiyo turned to leave, her foot kicking a book a few feet down the hallway. She quickly grabbed it and turned to tell the guy he had missed one. "Hey, you left one-" She stopped, stunned by how quickly the guy disappeared. "Guess he didn't need it that badly then."

She glanced at the title of the book and decided that she could just go put it back on the shelf instead of giving it to the librarian. She knew this place inside and out and wouldn't take her long to do that. She grabbed her bag and tossed it over her shoulder as she started up the stairs to the books section.

"Michiyo? I thought you were going outside?" Michiyo stopped mid-way up the stairs, surprised to see Sakura was actually ready to go. She back tracked a few steps to meet Sakura half way and held the book out for Sakura to see.

"I found this on the ground and I figured I could go return it instead of having the librarian do it." Leaving out the embarrassing details of how she completely spaced off and ran straight into a guy. She pressed the book, close to her chest and began back up the steps, backwards this time to face Sakura.

"I thought you were so eager to leave?" Sakura said, guiding Michiyo as people came down the stairs so she wouldn't hit them. People stared at the two as they went up, but Sakura was used to Michiyo's unusual behavior so something like walking backwards on stairs was nothing to her anymore.

"I thought you were going to take longer. And even though we could go, I already decided to do it so I'm sticking to it." Once at the top, Michiyo spun around and half skipped down the hall. "It's not too far off anyways. It should just be around the corner if I remember correctly."

Her memory did prove to be correct; it also proved to make her forget it was a restricted part of the library. Sakura told her to leave the book by the door, but Michiyo had no such plans. Instead, after checking to find the door was unlocked and scanning the area to make sure no one saw them both girls slipped into the room.

"If we get caught, I'm saying you kidnapped me and I don't know you." Sakura said, sighing as Michiyo scanned the shelves in the small room to find the spot for the book. Michiyo merely laughed, finding the books location and slipping it back onto its shelf.

"Okay, we can go now." She said walking back towards the door. Of course, she only made it a few feet before something new caught her attention. Ignoring Sakura's protests to leave she reached onto the shelf and grabbed a different book. "Sakura, come look at this book."

"The Book of the Universe of the Four Gods?" Sakura said, grabbing the book and reading the title on it. "It's pretty old and looks to be about old China." Flipping the book open, Michiyo moved next to her to read along.

"This is the story that changes to fit whoever reads it. The story is virtually the same, but will fit each person individually in many aspect." Michiyo said, pulling the book closer to her. "Face the challenges held within the book and your wish will be granted at the end."

"What does that all mean? Wishes and all that?" Sakura asked pulling the book back towards her. She scanned down the page and stopped at the last sentence on the page. "The journey begins from the moment you turn the first page."

"Sounds exciting!" Michiyo said, gripping the book tighter. "If only this wasn't just a book." Sakura nodded, thinking about what mystery journey's lied within this book. "Just think of all the fun we could have!"

"Yeah, but it's just a book so nothing-" Sakura cut her sentence short as the book began glowing red, slowly at first and soon building up and blinding both girls. Michiyo reached out to grab Sakura but her hand couldn't find the other girls arm no matter how much she searched.

The light dimmed down after a moment, giving away to a new scene. The closed room in the National Library was gone and instead there was now a wasteland that stretched on for miles. The books and shelves were gone and instead there was few trees that covered the area around them. But the scene wasn't the only thing new.

Only one of the girls sat alone in the middle of this wasteland.

"Sakura!" Michiyo stood up, nervously fiddling with her bow. "Sakura where are you?" She yelled out with no response. "What is this place? Where did the library go?" She walked a few steps forward, glancing around for any signs of which way would be best to travel.

"Never seen clothes like that before." Michiyo spun around to face a man with dark blue-green hair pulled back into a braid. She dropped her hand from her bow and frowned at the guy. "Isn't that a little short for a girl to be wearing?"

"It's a school uniform and it's how it's supposed to look. I don't get to decide the length." Michiyo said, irritated at the man's behavior. She was being just a bit over cautious though because men who usually talked about their school uniforms were perverts she met on the street.

"No need to get so upset. Just curious." The guy walked closer to Michiyo, this time eyeing her hair. "And your hair is a pretty unusual color." He reached out so fast and grabbed one of her pony tails and pulled it slightly. "Wow and it's all real."

"Ouch, yes it's real! Why would I fake it?" Michiyo said, slapping the guys hand away. "You know it's quite rude to pull a girls hair. And you shouldn't talk about unusual colors since your hair is no better." She said, reaching out and pulling at his bangs.

"Hey knock it off." He grabbed Michiyo's arm and held it above her head, leaving her standing on her toes slightly. "You sure are a feisty girl. What's your name?"

"I'm Michiyo. Michiyo Hamano." She said, still glaring at the man and trying to pull her arm free with no luck. "And what should I call my attacker?"

"You can call me Tamahome." He said, releasing Michiyo's arm and letting her drop back to the ground. "I saw you wondering around out here and thought maybe you could use a little help finding your way around."

Michiyo nodded, rubbing her wrist and glancing around. "I actually don't know where I am. I'm afraid I'm lost." She turned back to face Tamahome to find his hand held out to her face, a large smile across his face.

"Well, for a small fee I would be more than willing to help you."

"But, I don't have any money." Before Michiyo could say anymore, Tamahome turned and began walking away. "Hey, don't just walk away from me! Let me explain!" She said, running after Tamahome.

"If you have no money, you're useless to me. I've got to make a living you know. Can't do things for free all the time." Tamahome said tossing his hands behind his head. Michiyo caught up to him, grabbing the back of his shirt.

"Then can you at least tell me if you've seen another girl with clothes like mine?" Tamahome glanced over his shoulder and shrugged slightly. Michiyo released his shirt, frustrated with the lack of help she was getting. "Fine, be that way. I can find her on my own!" She turned and began heading off in the opposite direction of Tamahome, muttering to herself the whole time about how much she couldn't stand guys like him.

Tamahome must have been skilled in stealth because even with all of Michiyo's martial arts training she failed to hear him sneak up behind her. With one arm, her grabbed her around the waist and spun her around onto his shoulder. "You may not have any money, but I can't leave you out here. You were heading further into the wasteland and you would have died if I left you."

"Um…Thanks…" Michiyo said, realizing she let her hot-headed temper get in the way of her judgement again. This, though, did delay her in realizing that she was sitting over Tamahome's shoulder and he had a perfect view of her underwear. "Put me down! Put me down!" She flailed her body, pushing against Tamahome to try and get down.

Tamahome quicky dropped Michiyo, confused by what he did exactly. He watched as she spun away from him, covering her face. "Um, is everything alright?" He asked, moving closer to Michiyo.

"I'm fine! I can walk there myself!" She moved away from him rather quickly, still covering her face. And even with Tamahome's warning, she still managed to run into one of the few trees around them. She slid to the ground, head leaning against the tree.

"Looks like you could still use some help." Tamahome said, laughing softly. Michiyo looked up to find Tamahome standing next to her, his hand outstretched. She took his hand with a soft thanks, dusting her skirt of. She walked quietly beside him, embarrassed by what she had just done.

Michiyo couldn't help but find herself staring at the back of Tamahome's head. Perhaps she had judged him too quickly. He didn't seem like he was going to harm her and was willing to help. Maybe she was just being to tense, but with the new surroundings that was understandable. She turned her attention from Tamahome towards the sky, biting her bottom lip.

_Please be okay Sakura…_

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.

Miles away at the base of Mount Reikaku, Sakura was screaming for Michiyo's name. She wrapped her arms around her chest, the cool mountain air chilling her as she walked along. She wished she had brought along her jacket to school this morning despite the warm weather that would have made it impossible for her to wear it.

"Michiyo! Where did you go?" She called out again, hoping her friend hadn't gotten separated from her. It was sunny and couldn't be any later than mid-day, but with all the trees around it felt like it was night. And the rocky path of the mountain was hard to navigate as she slipped quite often in her school shoes.

She stopped walking, sitting on a larger rock next to her. She sighed, wishing for so many things she knew she wouldn't have had with her today. Better shoes, a coat, flashlights. These were all things she wouldn't have had on her, but that didn't stop her from wishing. She sat for a few more minutes before forcing herself to get moving again.

She headed up the mountain, hoping that she might have a better view of where she was from up higher. A logical way to think but the mountain was determined to stop her. The trail got steeper and thinner in main places, often the two combined. Only experienced climbers could handle this with ease.

For Sakura, that meant even more sliding and holding onto dear life as she tried to move up the hill. There was obviously a beaten path up the mountain, but it was hard to make out with the little light available.

She rounded a corner, face with the worst challenge yet. The path was no wider than her feet and was next to one of the steepest drops she had seen so far. "Just my luck." She reached out, grabbing a rock that was sticking out of the wall as she stepped carefully onto the ledge.

It was slow to cross, but it was the safest way to cross. There were a couple of spots where she lost her footing for a moment and had to regain herself before she could continue again. When she finally reached the other side, she dropped to the ground with exhaustion. "Why do movies make it look so easy?"

She took another moment to catch her breath, proud of herself from being able to do that. She wasn't usually the type who took risks so this little adventure was amazing for her. She pushed herself back up to her feet, feeling confident that she could conquer anything this mountain had now.

Of course, that's when life likes to smack you down again.

She took a few steps forwards, but leaned too far to the hill side. The rocks and dirt below her slipped from under her feet, causing her to fall a few feet down the hill. The only thing that stopped her from sliding even further was a small tree that hung from the side of the cliff.

"Someone! Help!" She cried out, despite not seeing anyone since she landed on this mountain. It was useless to cry for help, but she didn't know what else to do. She wasn't going to be able to hold on forever nor would the tree be able to support her forever. If either gave in she was sure to fall to her death.

Her hand slipped slightly, making Sakura shriek. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see how far she was going to have to fall. Her hand slipped again, barely holding onto the tree at all. She tense, prepared to fall any second now. She finally couldn't hang on any longer, releasing the branch and prepared to drop.

Only, she never got more than an inch further. She opened her eyes and found herself staring at a red-haired boy. He was leaning over the edge with his hand wrapped tightly around her wrist. "A second later and you would be a gonner!" He said, pulling Sakura up slowly.

Once back on the path, Sakura leaned against the man and stared down at what could have very well been her end if he hadn't shown up. "Thank you so much." She said with only a grunt in response. The man pushed himself away from her and stood up.

"Well, as much as I hate women I couldn't let you just die."

Sakura stared blankly at the guy. His behavior was rude, but he was such a handsome man she could overlook that. "Well, thank you either way. And, could I perhaps get your name?"

"They call me Genrō." He said, smiling brightly at Sakura. "And you?"

"I'm Sakura. Sakura Kurenai." She said, smiling back at the guy. "Have you seen another girl with clothes similar to mine by any chance?" She asked, remembering Michiyo again.

"Can't say I have." Genrō replied, crossing his arms across his chest. "Finding you out here was unusual. Not many people dare to venture up these mountains. We're all bandits up here."

"Even you?"

Genrō smiled. "I'm the worst you could have run across." He grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet. "But you looked just so pathetic that I would have felt horrible for taking advantage of you." He released her and began walking up the hill further. "If you don't want to get lost or die, I suggest you follow close to me. I may not like girls, but I won't sit by and watch people die."

Sakura followed behind Genrō, completely confused by his demeanor. Did he hate her? Pity her? She couldn't make out the guy at all, but he was her best shot at getting up the mountain at least. She wanted to ask him more questions, but she froze up. She wasn't the best at talking to people; she usually left that for Michiyo.

But it appeared she was going to have to get over that fast. Or she might not ever figure out where she was or how to get home. This Genrō guy was her best chance at finding her friend too and she was going to take advantage of that. And being cute was another factor that made her follow him.

_Don't worry Michiyo, I'm coming for you…_


	2. Searching

Chapter two! Boy was this a fun chapter to write. ^-^ Wrote way more than I thought I was going to for this chapter so it makes me very happy. ^_^

Chapter Two: Searching

* * *

><p>"Are we there yet?"<p>

"No. Quit asking me already."

Michiyo groaned out loud, dragging her feet as she followed Tamahome. The two had been walking for over an hour, Michiyo constantly complaining about the walk. Tamahome was beginning to regret his decision to help her.

"But it's hot. And we've been walking forever!" Michiyo yelled. She dropped to the ground, still complaining loudly. "I don't wanna keep walking. I want to take a break!" She flopped onto her back, flailing her arms around her.

Tamahome turned to argue with her, but decided that brute force would be faster. While Michiyo continued her complaining, she didn't notice Tamahome move up next to her. He reached down and invoke quick motion swept her up into his arms.

"What are you doing?" Michiyo yelled trying to push herself away from Tamahome, but he didn't budge. Tamahome picked up the pace and held onto Michiyo.

"We're almost there and its faster to just carry you than to fight with you." Tamahome said which stopped Michiyo's struggles. She muttered a soft thanks to him, wondering why he still treated her so nice even though she had been nothing but horrible since she met him.

They arrived in the town sooner than Tamahome expected thanks to him carrying Michiyo. He set her on the ground as they enter the gates, almost losing her the second she was out of his arms. The combination of her racing off and people passing by made it difficult for Tamahome to catch up to her.

"Hey! Careful of where you go. I almost lost you." Tamahome said grabbing Michiyo's arm and bringing her to a stop. "Why are you in such a rush? You don't even know where to go."

Michiyo turned to respond but she had no good response. Tamahome was right; she didn't know where to go. But she had to keep looking for Sakura even if she was completely lost. "I know. I just need to keep going through."

Tamahome didn't say anything but moved in front of Michiyo. "Well, let me lead you at least. That way you don't get lost." Tamahome began navigating through the people, checking back to make sure Michiyo was still with him. However, it didn't take long before Tamahome realized they had a new problem.

"You stand out too much." Tamahome said as they stopped, hiding away in an alley. People had been stopping Michiyo left and right, asking her about her clothes and delaying their search. "We need to hide you better." Tamahome said, searching around for what he could do. He could cover her with a blanket or something, but that might draw attention as well.

"What if I change clothes?" Michiyo suggested, pulling at her uniform. She couldn't do much about her hair color choice now, but the clothes were a dead giveaway that she wasn't from around here. "But I don't have any money or a spare so that won't work."

"Well, we do have something." Tamahome said, grabbing Michiyo's wrist and dragging her further into the alley. He turned into a smaller alley off of the one they were just on. He pushed Michiyo further into the alley and spun around. "Stay here. No one will find you back here. I'll be right back."

Before Michiyo could say anything Tamahome was gone. Michiyo sighed and leaned back against the wall, sliding down to the ground. Her skirt was ruined from the dirt she fell into early between falling into this world and after running into the tree. She blushed slightly, embarrassed by her behavior still.

Lost in thought, Michiyo didn't even hear Tamahome walking back up the alley. She only snapped back to reality when her head was buried underneath a pile of clothes. "What's all this?" She asked, holding the outfit out in front of her to see. It appeared to be clothing similar to what Tamahome was wearing, but it was white with a yellow collar and sleeves.

"I had to run back to my stuff and get this. Sorry it's guy clothing too. I don't usually carry a set of girl clothes with me when I travel." Tamahome said, backing out of the alley again. "I'll be right around the corner, go ahead and change and then we can keep looking for your friend."

"Tamahome…" Michiyo asked, stopping Tamahome for a moment. "Thank you for all your help." He nodded with a smile before turning around the corner.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Sakura sat on the ground in front of the small table, nervously tugging at her skirt. Genrō had led her to his place, but then disappeared. He told her she was welcome to make herself feel at home, but it was still uncomfortable to just wander around someone's house she just met less than an hour ago. She shook her head, driving the thoughts away. She needed to be focusing on finding Michiyo!

"But I can't leave until Genrō gets back. I won't find my way around without his help." Sighing, she forced herself to get up and examine his house. Sitting down was just making her antsy and that was the last thing she needed.

She walked around what she assumed was the living room, taking in what little décor Genrō had. It was obvious that he didn't spend much time caring for his home, the place was covered in dirt and lacked any touch that a woman lived here. She reached into the pocket of her skirt to pull out her glasses to read some of the writing carved into the wall but they were missing.

"Oh no! I must have dropped them when I was hiking up the mountain!" She didn't need them to see on a daily bases, but her vision was poor when she tried to read anything. She rolled her head back, eyes shut as she let out a long sigh. It was the third pair she had lost in two months.

_You didn't lose them. They are sitting on the ground by where you were just sitting._

Sakura snapped her head forward, staring straight at the spot she was just sitting at. Sure enough, her glasses were sitting on the ground. She walked over and picked them up, examining them and found nothing wrong with them. "They must have just fallen out when I stood up."

_Nothing to worry about._

"Well, I still can't find my friend. And I don't know if Genrō likes my company." Sakura said, sliding the glasses back into her pocket again. It was only then that she finally looked up to the girl she was talking to. If anyone had walked into the room at that time though they would only find Sakura talking to herself.

Ever since Sakura could remember, she had been able to see ghosts. At a young age, Sakura talked to them freely and her parents thought she just had an imaginary friend. But as she got older, her parents questioned her mental state. Between therapy sessions her parents put her through and name calling at school, Sakura learned to keep it to herself.

At fifteen, her parents moved to Tokyo to try and start life anew. Basically, they wanted to start in a new town with a girl who wasn't crazy anymore. Of course, Sakura refused to talk to anyone in her class and didn't try to make any friends. Two months had passed like that, her class giving up on making friends with her by that point.

It was late second term when she met Michiyo. Sakura had taken to studying on the rooftop of Honto Junior High during lunch hours, in an attempt to avoid people and study for her entrance exams that were going to take place next term. Sakura was deeply focused on her book when a girl with shockingly light blue hair sat down next to her.

"Hi! I'm Michiyo. Why are you sitting up here all alone?" The girl asked, kicking her feet back and forth. Sakura glanced at the girl from the corner of her eye, judging her to be a first year. She turned to focus on her book again, convinced that it was the other students trying to make fun of her again.

"What? You don't talk?" Michiyo asked, tilting her head forwards to try and get Sakura to look at her. Sakura buried her face deeper into the book, wishing the girl would just go already. Michiyo frowned at the girl for a moment before turning around and digging into her bag for something.

Sakura couldn't help but be curious about what this girl was doing, but she refused to look up. The girl shifted next to her for a minute more before she stood up. Sakura let out a soft sigh of relief, feeling the girls presence disappear from her. At least, for a moment.

"Nyan~" Michiyo grabbed Sakura's book and held it close to her chest. Sakura had no choice but to face the strange girl now. "Nyan?" Sakura was confused at what the girl was doing. She was now sporting cat ears the same color as her hair with bows and beads hanging from her two ponytails. "Smile? Nyan?"

Sakura couldn't help but smile at the girl. Her actions were so random and crazy. "You're funny." Sakura said, laughing slightly. Michiyo clapped her hands, nearly dropping the book. She handed the book back to Sakura and sat down next to her again.

Sakura learned that she was indeed a first year student at their school making her only twelve years old. She was the class clown of her year always making everyone she met smile and laugh. Sakura also learned about how Michiyo knew of a new girl that was in third year who could use some cheering up. But because Sakura always hid on the roof top it took her this long to find her.

"You were looking for me?" Sakura asked, kind of shocked that anyone was still even interested in her after the cold shoulder she had given the whole school.

"Of course. Everyone needs at least one person that they can turn to for a good laugh. I just happen to be there for everyone!" Michiyo said, tossing her arms up into the air as she jumped from her seat. "No one should be sad! No one should let the bad times get them down!"

After that day, Sakura and Michiyo were glued to each other through school. Michiyo had made sure to find Sakura after school and at lunch so they could talk. But after Sakura started High School, it was harder for the two to hang out, but Michiyo still did her best. Sakura found Michiyo standing outside her school some days, eagerly waiting for her friend to join her for an adventure after class.

Michiyo was the only one Sakura showed her true self to, including her ability to see ghosts. In front of everyone else she ever met, she was mature and calm. But with Michiyo, Sakura could go nuts. The two had more crazy adventures than either could count anymore.

Two years passed by with this semi-long distant relationship between the two before Michiyo took the exams and got accepted into the same school as Sakura. She had studied hard to make sure she could be with her friend again, even if it was only for a year. And even though the two were 3 years apart in age, they made sure to stay best friends.

"Shouldn't you move on?" Sakura asked the girl as she snapped back from her flashback, wondering why she still roamed around the Earth. It seemed she either had a connection to Genrō or the area. Perhaps both. But either way, it wasn't healthy for her spirit to continue staying here.

_I just like to keep an eye on __Genrō__. He can be a handful at times._

Sakura laughed, thinking of how true the girl's statement was given the short time she had been with Genrō. "Yes, I can tell already. But I can see he's putting up more of a show." Sakura felt her face flush slightly at the thought of Genrō. He may be acting all tough, but she could he was a sweet heart on the inside. "I'll keep an eye on him too." She said, nodding at the girl. She knew it probably wasn't going to be enough to help the girl pass to the other side, but at least she knew why the girl was staying here now.

At that moment, the front door slammed open making Sakura jump slightly. Genrō strolled into the room, arms cross over his chest. "I asked the guys around the mountain and no one can say that they've seen anyone else wondering around here." He said setting his fan onto the table as he sat down.

"Oh." That was all Sakura could say. She wasn't sure what to do at this point. If Michiyo wasn't on this mountain, then she could be anywhere. "Is there a good place I should start looking for her?" She asked, sitting down next to Genrō watching from the corner of her eye as the girl sat down across from her.

"Well, the capital would be a good place to start I guess. It's about a half day's travel by horse from here." Genrō said, tossing his hands over his head. "That's where I would start. People travel from all over Konan to the capital so someone must have seen her there."

"Can you take me there?" Sakura said, slamming her hands down onto the table suddenly. "Please Genrō! Please take me there!" She couldn't contain her excitement over hearing this, it was the first good news she had heard since she landed in this place.

Genrō fell backwards from his spot at Sakura's sudden outburst, hitting his head on the floor behind him. "Geez girl, watch the sudden mood swings." Sakura blushes at Genrō's comment, wishing she hadn't behaved like that.

"Sorry." She said quietly, moving her hands to her lap again. She was raised to be quiet and not draw attention to herself after all her therapy sessions. The only person who got to see her normally was Michiyo. She was also the only person who believed her about her ability and stood by her side through everything.

Genrō stood up, grabbing his fan and hooking it behind his back. "I'll go prepare a horse. We can leave as soon as its ready." Genrō left the house, leaving Sakura alone once again.

"I forgot to ask, what is your name?" She asked, turning towards the ghost girl again. "I forgot to ask you that earlier."

_It's Reirei._

"Reirei. That is a very pretty name." Sakura said, standing up from the table. "Will you continue to follow Genrō?" Reirei nodded in response. "Then he should be safe with two girls watching after him now."

Both girls laughed at Sakura's comment anand continued even as Genrō walked back in. "Huh, you know, you're kinda cute when you laugh."

Sakura didn't shy away, but kept smiling. Even though Genrō's words seemed rude, she knew he was complimenting her in his own way. she followed him outside, getting onto the horse in front of Genrō. He wrapped one arm around her as they moved to steady her as they moved down the mountain.

_Half a day..._ Sakura thought to herself. _Michiyo, are you at the capital?_

o.O.o.O.o.O.o

"Does it look okay?"

Tamahome turned to face Michiyo, shocked that he was still staring at the same girl. Her hair was pulled back into a braid that fell down her back making her face seem more masculine. With the outfit she was wearing, she could easily pass off as a cute boy.

"Not bad. We might still draw attention because of your hair and how you look like a girly boy, but it'll still beat you old look." Tamahome said, smiling at her. Michiyo frowned, but her face flushed slightly.

"Back home...everyone says that about me." Michiyo pulled her braid to the side, pulling at it nervously. "It's why I try so hard to look girly although my behavior always contradict that..."

Tamahome moved towards Michiyo, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his chest. "Just ignore what they say. I like how you've behaved and looked." His words were soft as he whispered them into her ear.

"Tamahome..."

"Come on. Lets go check things out." Tamahome turned, leading them back out of the alley. Michiyo wrapped her arms around her wondering why he suddenly embraced her like that.

Back on the main street it was quick to see how the change of clothes were affecting them. People didn't stop them anymore, but it was obvious that people were staring at Michiyo. Michiyo did her best to ignore the stares, but she could feel them no matter what.

The two wandered for a couple of hours, asking people if they had seen Sakura. Many only remembered seeing Michiyo before she changed her clothes, but no news of Sakura could be found.

"Maybe she just hasn't gotten here yet." Tamahome said trying to offer some comfort to her. Michiyo had grown quiet after asking the first few people and refused to speak, having Tamahome ask everyone else they ran into.

They moved towards the back part of the town, asking everyone they had met along the main streets. This part of town was know for having many fights and only thugs lived here. Tamahome was aware of the danger of having Michiyo there, but hoped her disguise might be helpful to them in some way. They had to search everywhere for clues, Even if it was this horrible part of town.

"Hey! How much?"

Tamahome and Michiyo stopped, spinning around to face three men with creepy smiles on their faces. Tamahome moved in front of Michiyo slightly, glaring at the men. "What was that?"

"How much do you want for it?" The man pointed at Michiyo, pinching forward a little. "That one behind you. Boy or girl? And how much?"

Michiyo pushed past Tamahome, obviously pissed off at the guys comment. But what she said next shocked Tamahome. "I'm a boy! Just because I have girl features doesn't make me any less able to kick your ass." Her voice was lower than normal as she spoke, a traitor she had learner to do years ago.

"Well, well...you've got quite a mouth for someone so young and fragile looking." a different man spoke this time, moving from their spot in the alley towards Tamahome and Michiyo. "But the question still stands, how much for him?"

Tamahome watched as three more men closed in behind them. In a matter of seconds they were surrounded. "Or we can just take him by force." The man said, reaching out and grabbing Michiyo by her arm. Her forcefully pulled her away from Tamahome as the other men closed around him.

"Michiyo!" Tamahome yelled, grabbing a nearby man and tossing him over his shoulder. As he did so, two more men piled onto him to hold him back. The red demon symbol glowed brightly on his head.

"Tamahome!" Michiyo yelled back, careful to keep her tone lower. The man had moved his arm around her neck, holding her tightly against himself. Too bad for him, that was the worst spot to hold her.

With one swift movement she jabbed her elbow onto the man's stomach. With him doubled over, she freed herself from his grasp and brought her hand down onto his head. The man dropped to the ground and didn't move to get up.

"I look frail, but don't underestimate me." Michiyo said, her tone serious and fully of rage. She took her fighting stance, ready to fight off anyone else that tried anything. But before she could, three castle guards came around the corner.

"Stop there!" The guards swarmed on the group, but the thugs took off before the guards could stop them. "You two. You're coming with us."

The two were lead back to the palace, never told why they were being taken in. Michiyo assumed it had to do with the fight in town; the guards only seeing her beat up that guy. What other reason did they have for taking them into the palace.

"Please wait here." The guard said, leaving the two near the courtyard. "The emperor wishes to have a word with you." As the guard walked away, Michiyo let out a long sigh as relief washed over her.

"Wonder what is going to happen now?" Michiyo asked, staring off at the courtyard. She couldn't help herself from staring at the large group of girls across the courtyard, all of them dressed beautifully.

"Can't say. It could be good or bad if we have to speak to the emperor." Tamahome said, leaning back against the railing. He watched as a few guards raced past them, urgency obvious as the moved.

In one fluent moment, the doors to the palace entrance as the emperor proceeded to leave and a dozen arrows shot down from the sky. Guard quickly swarmed around the emperor, the girls across the courtyard ducked for cover, and Tamahome and Michiyo both jumped into the center of the courtyard.

"Look out!" More arrows shot down on Tamahome and Michiyo, both doing their best to dodge them. Men fell from the trees behind the arrows, launching more arrows and other projectile weapons towards anyone in the area.

The emperor was rushed back behind the doors, guards guarding the area, and the girls raced to get hidden. Two of the men raced towards the girls, firing arrows as they went. Michiyo, noticing this, raced across the courtyard.

"Leave them alone!" She kicked one of the men in the back, sending him flying to the ground. The other man ignored his fallen comrade and continued after the girls. Michiyo jumped off the man she knocked down and raced to the other man.

"Michiyo!" Tamahome yelled, watching as she ran towards the girls and their attacker, but was unable to move to help her. Many more men swarmed around him, giving him no choice but to fight them and hope that he wasn't going to be to late.

Many of the girls had made it to a nearby room, safe from all attacks. One girl stayed behind, helping the others move along and guide them. As she began to head towards the room, the man jumped in front of her. He drew back an arrow, aiming it at the girls heart.

"I said leave them alone!" Michiyo dove over the railing, knocking herself completely into the man, sending then both falling over the other side railing. The man dropped his bow and arrow as they hit the ground, Michiyo doing her best to stop him from obtaining it again.

The man was much larger than Michiyo, but she held onto him. If he got up or in front of her, she was sure to lose the battle. The man grabbed her leg, pulling her off his back in one swift movement. Michiyo hit the ground, the wind knocked out of her. She had enough instinct left to remind her to cover herself as the man stroked her.

He only got in a couple hits before the guards swarmed on them. The rest of the attackers had fled, obvious that they were in a losing battle. The man send one more kick into Michiyo's ribs, knocking her a few feet away, before fleeing from the seen. The guards raced passed Michiyo in pursuit of the man as Michiyo pushed herself up to her hands and knees, coughing hard.

"Michiyo!" Tamahome was by her side in a second, shifting the girl into his lap. Her face had a few cuts but her swollen bruised cheek drew attention away from that. "Idiot! You could have gotten killed!"

"Involuntary reaction." She replied with a smile. "Can't stop myself from protecting people." Her voice was hoarse but made her sound like a boy enough to keep up her act. She winced as Tamahome helped her to her feet. She could move enough to walk so she guess age had a bruised side from the man kicking her.

"Well it was very noble of you." Michiyo and Tamahome both turned to face the girl Michiyo had rescued. She had dark purple hair pulled into a bun on top of her head. "You saved me from that man. I owe you."

"Well, I can't say I was very heroic. I got beaten pretty badly." Michiyo said, tenderly rubbing her cheek. Nothing felt broken, but it was going to take some time to heal either way. "But I'm glad to see you are okay, um..."

"My given name is Korin, but everyone calls me Nuriko." The lady said walking towards Michiyo. "And this is my thanks to you." Korin knelt down slightly to Michiyo's height, kissing her softly on the lips. Michiyo froze, wishing her guy look wasn't so convincing anymore.

Korin thanked Tamahome before hurrying off to join the other girls. Tamahome waited until Korin was out of earshot before her busted out laughing. Michiyo's face was completely flushed with embarrassment.

"My first kiss...was taken by a girl!" She cried out, falling to the ground. She ignored the pain in her side and covered her face. Tamahome knelt next to her, wanting to offer her comfort, but couldn't bring himself to stop laughing long enough to say anything.

Two of the guards motioned for Tamahome and Michiyo to follow them into the main part of the palace where the emperor was. With a little coaxing, Tamahome finally got Michiyo up to her feet and through the doors. Once inside Michiyo collapsed to the ground again, the shock still not worn off.

"My suspicions seem to be correct." The emperor moved up behind Tamahome and Michiyo. "I heard rumors of a girl who had unusual hair and clothing was in the capital. But when my guards brought me a boy I was doubtful. But I can see now, by your reactions, that you are indeed a girl."

"Yes, I am a girl." Michiyo said, standing up and bowing to the emperor. "I hid my apperance because of the trouble I was causing in the city." She rose, facing the emperor face to face. "But if I may ask, why did you wish to see me?"

"Because you are from another world, are you not?" Michiyo's reaction to his question was more than enough. "I was right. You could very well be the priestess my country has been waiting for." He reached up, brushing the hair from his neck to reveil a red symbol on his neck. "I am Hotohori, one of the Suzaku Seven who is to look after the priestess."

"You think I...am your priestess?" Michiyo asked, pointing a finger at herself with a dumb founded look upon her face. "But I'm just a high school girl. And I'm not girly or anything! I'm such a tomboy! Even my older brother Reyes and younger siblings think this too!" At the mention of her family, she suddenly began panicking.

"What is wrong, Michiyo?" Tamahome asked, watching the girl pace back and forth with her hands glued to her face. "What's gotten into you?"

"Back home!" Michiyo yelled out right in Tamahome's face. "I was supposed to be home by five to watch my brother and sister! Reyes has to work tonight!" She scratched her head vigorously, screaming. "He's gonna kill me for being late! I have to get home! I need to get home!"

No sooner had the words left her mouth when the familiar red glow surrounded her body. Michiyo had her eyes closed, frustrated by her forgetfulness that she didn't see it. The others though, stood back the moment she began to glow. Michiyo opened her eyes, just as her body began to fade away into the light.

"Michiyo!"

o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Sakura jumped slightly, startling both Genrō and the horse. They were just outside the city where Genrō said Michiyo might be at when they both saw the red light shoot straight up into the sky. "That light...It's the same light that brought me here..." She said softly.

"What? A light brought you here?" Genrō asked, although he didn't seemed to be to shocked about this. Sakura wanted to question him about his reaction, but her gaze was locked onto the light, watching as it slowly faded away into the sky.

"Michiyo?"

o.O.o.O.o.O.o

"Tamahome!"

Michiyo's arm was outstretched in front of her, but Tamahome was gone. The entire palace was gone and in it's place was the library again. The room was dark and took her eyes a moment to adjust to the sudden light change she just went through.

"I'm...Home?" She whispered quietly to herself. "Or did I never leave?" She pulled her arm back to herself, suddenly realizing she was still wearing the clothes Tamahome had given her. "It was real..." She stood up, grabbing the book that laid by her feet. "Then...Did Sakura get back home too?"

She opened the door slightly, looking around the hallways. The first shock she got was at how many people were still at the library, even though it was almost closing when she left and she was gone for at least a few hours. The second shock she got was how only ten minutes had passed by. She quickly closed the door, locking herself back into the room.

"What in the world is going on...?"


End file.
